Captivating audiences throughout the world, Charles Dutoit is one of today’s most sought-after conductors, having performed with all the major orchestras on most stages of the five continents.

Presently Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, he recently celebrated his thirty-year artistic collaboration with the Philadelphia Orchestra, who in turn, bestowed upon him the title “Conductor Laureate”. He collaborates every season with the orchestras of Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles and is also a regular guest on the stages in London, Berlin, Paris, München, Moscow, Sydney, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai amongst others.

His 200 plus recordings for Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Philips and Erato have garnered multiple awards and distinctions including two Grammy awards.

In 1991, Dutoit was made “Honorary Citizen of the City of Philadelphia”, in 1995, “Grand Officier de l’Ordre national du Québec”, in 1996, “Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres”by the government of France and in 1998, he was invested as “Honorary Officer of the Order of Canada”.In 2007, Dutoit received the “Gold Medal” of the city of Lausanne - his birthplace - and in 2014, he was given the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the International Classical Music Awards.

Dutoit holds Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of McGill, Montréal, Laval, and the Curtis School of Music.

A globetrotter motivated by his passion for history and archaeology, political science, art and architecture, he has travelledtoall 196 nations of the world.

YUNDI
Pianist

Born in Chongqing, YUNDI began piano studies at age seven. He subsequently trained at the Shenzhen Arts School and Hochschulefür Musik undTheater, Hannover. YUNDI was propelled onto the international stage when he won first prize at the 14th Chopin International Piano Competition at the age of eighteen, becoming the youngest and first Chinese winner in the history of the renowned competition. Since then, he has been regarded as a leading exponent of Chopin’s music. In recognition of his contribution to Polish culture, the Government of Poland presented a Gold Medal for Merit to Culture ‘Gloria Artis’ to YUNDI in 2010. He maintains a strong connection with Poland and will sit on the jury of the 17th Chopin Competition in 2015.

YUNDI is a household name and has a huge following in his native China. In the 2013-2014 season, he embarked on a thirty-five-city recital tour of the country, bringing classical music to provincial capitals as well as second- and third-tier cities. In addition to his activities on the concert platform, YUNDI is also passionate about humanitarian work. He is an ambassador of the Red Cross Society of China and Environmental and City Image Ambassador for his hometown Chongqing. Equally committed to promoting classical music in an educational context, YUNDI is one of the pioneers of musical education in China, where his success story has inspired millions of children learning the piano. He has also given masterclasses at the Royal College of Music, University of Cambridge and Qinghua University, Beijing. In Autumn 2012, he was appointed Associate Dean and Professor of the Piano Faculty at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, the youngest member of the faculty to achieve the status.

YUNDI has an extensive discography on Deutsche Grammophon and EMI Classics. YUNDI’s most recent CD on Deutsche Grammophon pairs Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto (Berliner Philharmoniker/ Daniel Harding) with Schumann’s Fantasie in C; this follows a disc of three of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas. Future recording plans include further discs of Chopin.

National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America
NYO-USA

Each summer, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute brings together 120 of the brightest young musicians, aged 16-19, from across the United States to form the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). Following a comprehensive audition process and a two-week training residency at Purchase College, State University of New York, with a faculty made-up of principal players from top American orchestras, these remarkable teenagers embark on a tour to some of the great music capitals of the world, serving as dynamic musical ambassadors.

Launched in summer 2013 to great critical acclaim, the first-ever NYO-USA presented concerts with famed conductor Valery Gergiev and renowned violinist Joshua Bell for enthusiastic audiences in Washington DC; Moscow and St Petersburg; and at the BBC Proms, London. The New York Times remarked: “The performance exuded vitality and confidence.”The 2014 orchestra, led by dynamic American conductor David Robertson with virtuoso violinist Gil Shaham - made its debut at Carnegie Hall, New York, followed by a coast-to-coast US tour to Tanglewood, Massachusetts; Boone, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Sonoma, California; and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles. “NYO-USA”, said the Los Angeles Times, “not only played with ferocious spirit and genuine personality, but it also produced refined performances notable for credible polish.”

In 2015, NYO-USA embarks on an historic tour of China, collaborating with conductor Charles Dutoit and pianist YUNDI on a programme to include music by Beethoven and Berlioz, plus a new work by Tan Dun commissioned by Carnegie Hall for the orchestra. The tour has been designated by the US State Department as one of the Cultural Pillars of the most recent US-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange. After a concert at Carnegie Hall, the tour will take NYO-USA to major performing arts centres in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Suzhou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. To learn more about NYO-USA, visit: carnegiehall.org/nyousa.